Stabilized nitrated starch.



I UNITED srn'rns PrEN'r BEIGE.

FLETCHER B. HOLMES, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THEE. I. DU .I-ONT DE NEMOURS POWDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF NEW STABILIZED NITRATED STAR-CH.

Patented Jan. 7 1908.

Application filed May 20, 1907. Serial No. 374,581.

JERSEY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FLETCHER B. HOLMES,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Woodbury, county of Gloucester and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stabilized Nitrated Starch, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description.

The object of my invention is to produce stable nitrated starch.

Nitrated starch may be used as an explosive itself, or preferably may be used as a component part of an ex losive, such; as

where it is. mixed with so ium nitrate, potassium nitrate, or some other oxygen carrier, with or without the addition of other ingredients. The difficulty with nitrated starch is that it is very unstable, being liable to decomposition. When such nitrated starch decomposes, which it is liable to do at ordinary spontaneous combustion.

I have discovered that -I can produce a" stable nitrate'd starch by mixing with nitrated starch a'salt of anilin, such as anilin oxalate (C H NH,),H.,C,O,, which is the salt of anilin I refer to use. Anilin hydrochlorid; anilin nitrate, anilin sulfate, etc. may also be used.

In practice the reagent is mixed with the ,nitrated starch, prepared in the ordinary and well known manner. The mixing may be made in any manner to produce a good mixtemperatures, it becomes liable to any kind of a mixer. Preferabl I mix the two, in afinely divided powdere condition,

in a bowl provided with stirrers or paddles, and in an amount preferably from two to five per cent, although larger and smaller amounts can be used with success.- I have found three per cent. to give good'results.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: I

1. A stable explosive consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and a salt of anilin, the latter being in such proportion as to stabilize the nitrated starch.

2. A stable explosive, consisting of a mixture of nitrated -starch, and from .two to five per cent. of a salt of anilin.

3;. A stable explosive consisting of a mixture of nitrated starch and anilin oxalate, the latter being in such proportions as to stabilize the nitrated starch.

4. A stable explosive consisting .of a mixture of nitrated starch and from two to five per cent. of'anilin oxalate.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, .at Philadelphia, on this 15th day of May, 1907.

FLETCHER B. HOLMES.

ture. They may bemixed wet or dry and in. 

